Do you believe most statistics?

Question

In america just about everything negative is about african americans, or black people in general. you hear black on black crime, high hiv/aids, high prison rates, high infant mortality, high welfare rates, etc. this has been going on for decades, one would think there wouldnt be any black people left by now, but instead the black population has increased...it just seems all to strange to me...what do you think?

Answer 1

I agree with Pink.  In addition to faulty research methods, statistics can be presented in a way to emphasize certain points.  For example, having a small range on the y axis of a line graph can make a change in a statistic look huge, while if the axis shows a larger range, the change can look very small.  Additionally, statistics can be cited or compared without regard to magnitude.  The headlines might say that the black mortality rate is 2.4 times that of the white, but the numbers themselves may be quite low.

Read the book How to Lie with Statistics.  It's quite an interesting read.

Answer 2

I believe most statistics are manipulated by who does the study and how they want it to turn out. You can make research say anything you want it to to make your point.

And many of the statistics you see aren't even authenic controlled research studies, they are just a few people questioned at random about how they feel or have behaved, nothing scientific at all.

Answer 3

Statistics don't tell the whole story.

Answer 4

As Mark Twain said, there are lies, d**n lies, and statistics. Statistics often mean only what the person taking them want them to mean. Like Mark Twain, I take them with a (big) grain of salt.

Answer 5

Of course I don't!  50% of statistics are made up on the spot!

Answer 6

stats don't lie, they make babies and move on down the road. father's day cards don't sell to much in the hood.

Answer 7

but see what you must understand is some of those people are mixed.  Remember, if you have any black in you, you are considered black.  That means if you are 2/3 white 1/3 black or 3/4 and 1/4, then you are still black.  That is why.  So these statistics may not be totally accurate.

For instance, they say more black babies being born to never married mothers.  What that seems to suggest is more black women are having children unmarried, but that is not at all what it is saying.  Me and my sis were talking about it.  She is a never married mother and her daughter is 1/2 black, meaning her daughter is black statistically speaking.  You see what I am saying.  

Statistics can be very misleading and do not tell the whole story.  Another thing too, some of those percentages can mean the same people.  For instance a black man is in jail for black on black crime who got HIV in jail and was on welfare before jail.  you got what I am saying.